Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Having
access to a full-time, certified school librarian means better outcomes
for Pennsylvania’s public school students, according to new research
from the Colorado-based RSL Research Group.

The researchers
examined the 2010-11 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
tests in Reading and Writing for students in grades three through 11,
and tracked outcomes for students based on five school library factors:
staffing, collections, digital resources and technology infrastructure,
library access, and funding.

Overall, the greatest impact on student test scores was seen from having a full-time, certified librarian.

•
Students who have access to a full-time, certified librarian scored
higher on the PSSA Reading Test than those students who do not have such
access. This finding is true for all students, regardless of their
socio-economic, racial/ethnic, and/or disability status.

•
For several student groups that tend to experience achievement
gaps—economically disadvantaged, Hispanic, Black, and those with IEPs
(Individualized Education Programs)—Reading and Writing results are
markedly better when those students attend a school with a librarian and
library support staff, according to the research. In fact, they benefit
more proportionally than the general student population.

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